The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the palace gardens. The tea cups were empty, and the tension from Daniel's intrusion had finally dissipated into the cooling evening air.
Oliver stood up, brushing a non-existent speck of dust from his coat. "Well, Your Highness, it's getting late. We should head back. My companions—Ariana and Seraphine—are probably waiting at the Silver Quill by now, wondering if I've been thrown in a dungeon."
Elisha set her cup down, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Actually, Oliver… I have a better idea."
She gestured toward the sprawling white-stone villa visible just beyond the hedge maze.
"Why don't you stay here? In the Royal Guest Palace."
Oliver blinked. "Here? In the palace grounds?"
